


Gone.

by chanmosphere



Series: Tales of Chanbaek [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mpreg, domestic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 09:38:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13808511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanmosphere/pseuds/chanmosphere
Summary: Chanyeol is left behind, but not alone.





	Gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Not up for sequels.

Baekhyun had always been on the smaller side of things, Chanyeol knew that. From his height to his curious habit of eating small portions of his food in the span of half an hour during their daily lunch dates at Minseok's bistro near the hospital where Baekhyun worked. It had always being hectic and rushed dates, but Chanyeol couldn't complain, absolutely not when he got to see the welcoming smile on his husband's lips every time they met, and with Chanyeol just as busy with his lawyer's firm, it was refreshing and totally worth the long hours of wait.

Chanyeol pondered on how much their lives had changed in the last six months as he rubbed his hands on his husband's swollen belly, smiling as the warmth of the skin came in contact with his cold fingertips, making the smaller shiver and giggle at the same time. They had been lying in bed for the past three hours, just enjoying each other while the faint noise of laughter coming from the TV faded in the back.

Chanyeol had taken a four month leave from the firm, leaving everything in Junmyeon's hands and giving him instructions to only call if it was absolutely necessary, he needed to spent time with his pregnant husband and wanted to stay at least one month after the baby was born. And while Baekhyun had also taken a mandatory leave for the same amount of time, forced by his friend and colleague Yixing, Chanyeol had deemed it necessary for them to spend at least a few hours in bed just snuggling before getting up and officially start their day, which now consisted on elaborated breakfasts cooked by the two of them, a warm shower and lastly, a few hours of shopping for the baby in order to have the nursery ready before his arrival.

Baekhyun was still looking small, even more than before now that he had to carry a heavy belly all on his own. He was bounded to get tired easily, having to stop several times to take deep intakes of breath before being able to keep doing whatever he was doing; to say that Chanyeol was worried was an understatement, it was hard for him to see his husband struggling with something as normal as breathing, or how his bony hands would shake every time he tried to lift anything, heavy or not, and Chanyeol had to be there to stop him from getting frustrated and feeling useless. It was not his fault after all.

It all happened too fast, one Wednesday night after hearing Baekhyun getting up from bed to go to the bathroom and Chanyeol had attempted to get up too and help him, only to be rewarded by a glare and a shake of his husband's head. The crash was still lingering in the back of his mind, constricting his chest and squeezing his heart in the cruelest of ways. He couldn't help but blame himself.

He had run to the bathroom, his blood rushing up to his brain on a matter of seconds as he took the sight of his husband kneeling on the floor, surrounded by shreds of glass and the overwhelming smell of Baekhyun's favorite perfume whifting through the air, his hand clutching at the front of his loose shirt and his face contorted in pain.

Chanyeol took no time on grabbing the shorter by the hand, helping him up and scooting him on his arms to carry him to the car; despite of how heavy he was, he managed to get there in record time. It still pained his heart the memory of the deafening silence as they drove to the hospital. Baekhyun had never been one to openly show any sign of pain, but Chanyeol knew he was hurting. Still, there was nothing he could do to ease it but to take Baekhyun's hand on his on a reassuring way.

Three hours. It was all it took to have his world crumbling down on him, the sound of the voices around him calling on him echoing in his head as he fell on his knees, screaming, refusing to believe what was happening.

"I'm sorry." Yixing had told him. "The baby is fine, but we couldn't save him. His body wasn't strong enough. His heart collapsed during the surgery." The doctor's usually calm face was marred with lines of pain and guilt as he spoke, trying to hold back his tears for the sake of the man at his feet.

There was no point on keep on trying, not when Baekhyun wasn't there anymore to convince him otherwise. There wasn't going to be any more rushed lunch dates at Minseok's bistro, no more lazy Sunday mornings in bed and elaborated breakfasts, no more bright smiles and twinkling eyes. No more loud laughs in the afternoons.

"You have to see him." Junmyeon had glared at him, arms folded against his chest on a clear sign of rejection towards his unfounded actions. "He's your son, Chanyeol, he needs you."

But Chanyeol couldn't bring himself to do it, not when it was a constant reminder that he had been left behind. The pain was too much to handle, the constant beating of his heart slowly decreasing at each passing minute.

That night, he stood outside the nursery room, listening to Kyungsoo's soft voice singing a well-known lullaby to stop the baby from crying. He had been kind enough to help Chanyeol out. It was cruel to leave his son on someone else’s care, he knew. When he gathered enough courage to open the door, after a month of being avoiding that room in specific, Kyungsoo had gaped at him, incredulously quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he carefully placed the sleeping baby on his father's clumsy arms. Chanyeol nodded, he had to. "I'll be in my room if you need me." Kyungsoo whispered and left. Only when he heard the door of the guest room closing, he was able to look down. There, sleeping peacefully in his arms and unaware of everything, was his son. A vivid image of Baekhyun with his small pink lips, button nose and rosy chubby cheeks, ears as big as Chanyeol's and messy dark hair sticking up everywhere. He couldn't help the strangled sob that abandoned his lips.

"I'm sorry baby." He whispered after a moment. "I'm sorry I couldn't see you before. I'm sorry I couldn't save daddy." He sobbed again, and the baby squirmed a little, opening his tiny mouth to let out a small yawn. "But we can make it, right? We will make it, I promise you that." He added, sniffling and leaning in to leave a small kiss on his son's forehead. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep that promise, but he had to try. For the small person on his arms and for Baekhyun.

…

"Minhyun, baby, don't do that. You’re going to hurt yourself." Chanyeol said from where he was sitting on the couch, laptop perched on his lap while he revised some papers from work. He had caught from the corner of his eyes his five year old son trying to climb on the high stool to reach the cookie jar atop the kitchen island.

"But daddy, you promised!" He whined, stomping his little feet on the marble floor.

Minhyun was small, smaller than the rest of the kids his age, and more on the thin side as well. Hence, he was bound to struggle sometimes.

"Fine, fine." Chanyeol playfully rolled his eyes and stood up, walking in the kitchen to give his son his promised two chocolate chip cookies for dinner.

His eyes lighted up. Minhyun was indeed Baekhyun's vivid image with his twinkling eyes and squared-shape smile, bubbly personality and his curious habit of eating small portions of his food in the span of half an hour.


End file.
